Saudi writer Faisal G. Binzagr: ‘I always knew I would be a writer’ - As-salamu alaykum
As-salamu alaykum. Saudi writer Faisal G. Binzagr is featured in a new English anthology of horror stories by Arab authors called “Arabian Nightmares.” The project, led by Lebanese author Daniel Habib and funded by supporters, brings together regional voices exploring fear and folklore from an Arab viewpoint. Binzagr first heard about the collection in 2023 from fellow Saudi writer Maram Taibah.
“Daniel wanted to put together the first anthology of horror shorts by Arab writers. Apparently that hadn’t been done before, and he was surprised, so he said, ‘Let’s do it!’ It was a great chance and I was glad to join,” Binzagr told the press.
His piece, “The Great Work of Dr Quqazi; or, The Bell,” blends classic horror ideas with Saudi details - local rituals, inner struggles and family tensions.
The anthology’s synopsis describes a young Saudi, pressured by conservative parents and close to depression, who seeks help from his uncle - a man of knowledge and science - but soon suspects the treatment mixes science, alchemy, and the occult. The story borrows some inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, while staying rooted in Saudi imagination.
Binzagr grew up in a creative Jeddah family; the late pioneering artist Safeya Binzagr was among his relatives. He says he was telling and drawing stories as a toddler, dictating tales to his mother. His American mother, a teacher, encouraged him to move from pictures to narrative.
He remembers a turning point around age six or seven, when the cover of Stephen King’s Cujo sparked wild tales about dangerous animals. His mother told him to add narrative, cause and effect, and characters. At first he resisted, but later realized she was right and began paying more attention to character and what lies behind the story.
He wrote his first novel at 10 - about war - and proudly showed it to his maternal grandfather, a US WWII veteran. His family praised him, and he’s kept writing since.
Though he’s not only a horror writer, Binzagr’s work often leans toward the eerie, psychological, and morally complex, so many associate him with the genre. “It’s funny I’m seen as a horror writer here, because actually that was my first horror story,” he says. This new piece is another milestone in his long path.
“As a child, I always believed I would be a writer. At university in the UK I learned more about the world, and I understood how hard success in writing can be,” he says. “Now my approach is a slow burn. I write on weekends or after work - it’s slower with my day job - but I keep chipping away.”
He shares an example: a story he began in 2019 about reconciling different cultural backgrounds, inspired by his American and Saudi roots. A subplot about a character’s son felt like a device at first, but after his own son was born, the story shifted into one about fatherhood.
Becoming a parent changed his perspective. Scenes that once leaned into speculative horror now carry care and responsibility. His son, now about 18 months old, has reshaped how he sees stories. His style remains deliberate and provocative, but with more hope.
“I’m very happy in life, and I hope my writing - even when it’s intense - can help bring happiness to others,” he says.
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